Smuggled swim bladders of endangered fish seized at Arizona border, feds say

Smuggled swim bladders of an endangered fish species turned up at an Arizona border crossing from Mexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents reported.

The 270 Totoaba swim bladders, found hidden among frozen fish filets in Nogales, have an estimated worth of $2.7 million, the agency said in a June 12 news release.

Totoaba macdonaldi fish, native to the Gulf of California, are an endangered species, federal officials said. It’s illegal in both the U.S. and Mexico to catch or sell the fish.

“The swim bladders of this species and other similar species worldwide are prized in traditional Chinese medicine and as an Asian cultural delicacy,” the agency said.

DNA testing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service following the April 13 seizure of the swim bladders confirmed they are from Totoaba, the release said.

The 242 pounds found in Arizona are the second-largest seizure of swim bladders in the United States and the largest in Arizona, officials said. The smuggling investigation is ongoing.

Totoaba reach sizes of up to 6.5 feet long and 220 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This story was originally published June 13, 2023 at 8:16 AM with the headline "Smuggled swim bladders of endangered fish seized at Arizona border, feds say."